Do single people suffer more?Researchers at the University of Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology (UMIT, Hall, Austria) and the University of the Balearic Islands (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) have confirmed the analgesic effects of social support - even without verbal or physical contact. (2019-08-23)

Study finds transgender, non-binary autism linkNew research indicates that transgender and non-binary individuals are significantly more likely to have autism or display autistic traits than the wider population -- a finding that has important implications for gender confirmation treatments. (2019-07-16)

Diabetes patients experiencing empathy from PCPs have lower risk of mortalityA United Kingdom study designed to examine the association between primary care practitioner empathy and incidence of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality among type 2 diabetes patients found that those patients experiencing greater empathy in the year following their diagnosis saw beneficial long-term clinical outcomes. (2019-07-10)

Bosses who put their followers first can boost their businessCompanies would do well to tailor training and recruitment measures to encourage managers who have empathy, integrity and are trustworthy -- because they can improve productivity, according to new research from the University of Exeter Business School. (2019-04-25)

Empathy often avoided because of mental effortEven when feeling empathy for others isn't financially costly or emotionally draining, people will still avoid it because they think empathy requires too much mental effort, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. (2019-04-22)

Brain wiring differences identified in children with conduct disorderBehavioural problems in young people with severe antisocial behaviour -- known as conduct disorder -- could be caused by differences in the brain's wiring that link the brain's emotional centres together, according to new research led by the University of Birmingham. (2019-04-18)

Testosterone and cortisol modulate the effects of empathy on aggression in childrenThe study conducted in the UPV/EHU's Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development on 139 eight-year-old children has concluded that low levels of testosterone and high levels of empathy may explain the low levels of aggressive behaviour in girls; and that the low levels of empathy and high levels of cortisol may account for high levels of aggressive behaviour in boys. (2019-04-16)

Empathy and cooperation go hand in handDespite sometimes selfish instincts, cooperation abounds in human societies. Using mathematical models to explore this complex feature of social behavior, a University of Pennsylvania-led team shows that the act of taking another person's perspective -- a form of empathy -- supports the persistence of cooperation and altruism. (2019-04-09)

Are you with me? New model explains origins of empathyResearchers at the Max Planck Institute and the Santa Fe Institute have developed a new model to explain the evolutionary origins of empathy and other related phenomena, such as emotional contagion and contagious yawning. (2019-04-08)

Best Science Podcasts 2019

AnthropomorphicDo animals grieve? Do they have language or consciousness? For a long time, scientists resisted the urge to look for human qualities in animals. This hour, TED speakers explore how that is changing. Guests include biological anthropologist Barbara King, dolphin researcher Denise Herzing, primatologist Frans de Waal, and ecologist Carl Safina.

#534 Bacteria are Coming for Your OJWhat makes breakfast, breakfast? Well, according to every movie and TV show we've ever seen, a big glass of orange juice is basically required. But our morning grapefruit might be in danger. Why? Citrus greening, a bacteria carried by a bug, has infected 90% of the citrus groves in Florida. It's coming for your OJ. We'll talk with University of Maryland plant virologist Anne Simon about ways to stop the citrus killer, and with science writer and journalist Maryn McKenna about why throwing antibiotics at the problem is probably not the solution. Related links: A Review of the Citrus Greening...